The retread XI

With Australia unable to reclaim the Border-Gavaskar trophy after a crushing loss in the Boxing Day Test, the selectors continue their puzzling recent trend of recalling players to the national side on the basis on mediocre Shield form.

With this in mind, I’ve decided to help Trevor and the boys hasten this process for Sydney and beyond by picking a team made up entirely of recently selected and discarded players. Let’s celebrate our English roots and pretend we’re selecting for the motherland in the ‘93 Ashes. Put your feet up, future Prime Minister Cummins, and take a well-earned break.

Aaron Finch
Not a first-class opener, and clearly not a Test opener. Finch is likely to be discarded in the next Test or two, so let’s just bring him back and save everyone the time.

Even better, let’s leave him in as an opener for when Chairman Warne eventually takes over as chief selector and makes Australia great again.

Nic Maddinson
When he’s on song, Maddo is a beast. Unfortunately, he made his Test debut based on potential rather than form and didn’t last long.

Since then, he’s gone on to be delisted by New South Wales, and is currently trying to establish himself in the Victorian side. Setting aside a few decent Shield scores before his recent injury, Maddinson fits the bill here perfectly.

Peter Handscomb
Apparently, he’ll be back for Sydney anyway, so I may as well include him in my side.

With a valuable 70 under his belt for the Stars in his most recent BBL showing, I’m sure Handscomb will channel Shaun Marsh’s efforts after being rushed into the Test side on the back of his strong form in BBL01. I look forward to a similar run of single figure scores.

Callum Ferguson
I was quite happy to see Ferguson get his chance at Test level a few years ago as part of sweeping changes made to the side. Unfortunately, he was picked a few years too late and was then dumped after one Test. Since then, he’s been mixed at best for SA.

Hilton Cartwright
I was also okay with Hilton getting run in the Test side a few years back, although it felt like another selection based on potential rather than a consistent run of strong performances.

The most disappointing dismissals often come watching the most technically correct batsmen.

That’s what made Watto’s inability to counter his LBW woes so tedious. It also made watching Cartwright look so balanced and comfortable at the crease before being inevitably dismissed for a middling score all the more frustrating.

Since then, he’s been anything but dominant for WA. It sounds like a perfect candidate for a recall to me.

Marnus Labuschagne
Picking a part-time leggie against India at the SCG seems like a recipe for success to me. I’m guessing Ravi Shastri will throw himself in at four and reprise his efforts from Warne’s Test debut. I’d much rather be hearing more stories about that effort from Warnie than his thoughts on D’arcy Short’s Test prospects.

(Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)

Peter Nevill
First thing’s first. I was a big Nev fan back in the day.

Clean ‘keeper and very handy bat for NSW.

Unfortunately for Nevill, things didn’t pan out so well at Test level – and he certainly hasn’t been beating the door down for a recall since returned to Shield cricket.

Ashton Agar
Aside from a memorable knock in his surprising Test debut, Agar has been more potential than performance in long-form cricket.

If he ever gets it together, he could be very handy in the Test side at seven or eight. For now, hopefully, he’ll figure it out in Shield cricket after the break.

Joe Mennie
Given our depth with the ball, picking bowlers for this side is a challenge and feels a little harsh. Mennie isn’t a bad bowler by any stretch, but he hasn’t been lighting it up for SA since his one Test.

Chadd Sayers
He was picked for his Test debut well after his Shield peak and several missed opportunities to channel Terry Alderman and make a lot of English sports psychologists very wealthy, dear Sayers has struggled to regain his dominant Shield form this summer.

Jon Holland
Strong form for Victoria led to Test selection, which led to him confirming the gulf between Lyon and all other Australian spinners right now, which led dear Jon back to Victoria where he displaced the consistently strong Fawad Ahmed. He is not a bad bowler, but not a Test spinner either.

That’s my retread XI, Roarers. Given the squad selected for the final Test against India are likely headed for another heavy defeat, I think we should give most of them the game off and wheel out my side instead.

Who would you have in your XI?